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Sicarra
Home to House Peregrine, Sicarra is a planet that kills as swiftly as its Knights. Scorching days and freezing nights dictate the life of its population, who live in the shadow of their masters' towering fortress and machines. In exchange for their service, they receive protection and peace, able to enjoy a life that has been nearly the same for 10 millennia. History Dark Age of Technology Beginnings During the peak of human civilization, now referred to as the Dark Age of Technology, humanity sent out vast fleets of colony ships. These ships held vast amounts of resources in food and tech, but they were a resource itself. Once a ship had landed on a habitable planet, the settlers would strip it down for construction materials, making a return impossible and success mandatory. Among the tech carried by these ships were impossibly large suits of armor, armed with a devastating array of weapons and tools. Standing dozens of feet taller than a common man, these suits were vital in conquering planets, as they not only aided in construction, but also protected the colonists from predators or Xeno forces. For that role, they became known as 'Knights', inheriting the name of ancient terran warriors known for their code of chivalry and honor. One such world was Sicarra, a desert world safe for moderate zones near its poles. It was here where the colony ship Peregrine made planetfall, close to the largest oasis its crew could find. Within a year, the massive vessel had been torn apart, its hull and intestines turned into a sprawling city which soon bore the name Glastonmouth, baptized after the first man to loose his life on Sicarra. Like a myriad of other worlds, Sicarra too was guarded by its Knights, steely giants piloted by brave men and women and equipped with weapons befitting their size. They traversed the desert, purging nests of predators or repelling Xenos raiders. Not long and they would become known as the Knights of the Peregrine, for the vessel's name was still present, painted in larger than life letters on the flank of their keep. Prosperity Soon, it became apparent that Sicarra could not contain its rapidly growing population and so the colonists, now the world's rightful inheritors, set their eyes once more towards the stars. Building space crafts once more, they first conquered their moons and from there, the rest of their system. One after another, planet after planet would be brought into the growing empire, each providing resources to construct the Knights necessary to protect them and reach out to the next world. Over the course of several millennia, the Knights of the Peregrine spread over the entire Dinadan Cluster. So large had their ranks grown that several minor households had been founded under the banner of the Peregrine. However, not all of them would live through the times that laid ahead. The Age of Strife As humankind was at its peak, it also had a long way to fall. Psykers, so far few and rare, started to be born all over human domain, drawing in countless daemons and other warp entities. At the same time, warp storms erupted all over the galaxy, swallowing worlds whole or separating them from each other. Space travel did become nigh impossible. Adding salt to the wound, the Men of Iron, thinking machines and formerly loyal servants to their human masters, rose up in violent riots. Sicarra and its Knights were not spared and for seemingly endless centuries, the contact to their brethren was lost. Cut off from the resources of their vassal worlds, the Knights were forced to restrict the access to their suits further and further, as their repair became increasingly difficult. Consequently, their influence grew until they were eventually entrusted with the rule over their planet. Regressing into a state of feudalism. The Knights of the Peregrine became House Peregrine. When the warp storms faded at the beginning of the 30th Millennium, House Peregrine set out into space to reclaim the fiefs recorded in their annals. Alas, they found many worlds barren, carrying only destroyed ruins or even worse, a population enslaved by Xenos or the madness of daemonic corruption. Beyond salvation, the Knights Peregrine purged these worlds. The Great Crusade When the forces of the Emperor's Great Crusade reached the Dinadan Cluster, it is said that House Peregrine readily took the opportunity to fight alongside the formidable Legiones Astartes. After having the Tech Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus examine their Knights, the House mounted the majority of their mechanical steeds and joined the Great Crusade. Countless worlds of the Cinnabar Sector were brought under the wing of the Emperor, either liberated from the clutches of Xenos or Daemons or forced into submission with the Knights' hammering cannons. It is widely accepted that House Peregrine developed its fondness for fast assaults and swift maneuvers from fighting alongside the IXth Legion, the Blood Angels, whose skill with the blade they tried to emulate. The Horus Heresy When Warmaster Horus betrayed the Emperor and dragged several of his brothers with him into corruption, the Dinadan Cluster was not spared from the flames of the civil war. Traitorous members of the Imperial Army left in the wake of the World Eaters bloody path towards Terra were ravaging the worlds supposedly under the protection of House Peregrine. When their call for help reached the Knights, they turned on their heels and rushed back to their home. Breaking through the hastily put up defense of the traitors, the Knights made planetfall and crushed those who slayed their subjects under the steely claws of their suits. The Battle for Glastonmouth During the heights of the battle for the Dinadan Cluster, it was revealed that the son of the High King of House Peregrine, originally tasked with defending Sicarra during the time of the Knights' absence, had succumbed to the lure of fame and power. Betraying his own, the Knights returning to their keep in Glastonmouth were met with fire from the city's defense batteries and the Knights protecting it. Unwary and having expected a peaceful return, High King Everard fell to the surprise attack of the traitors. Struck with shame and wrath over his brother's betrayal, Prince Philander took command over the Knights' forces and personally led the next attack on the city. Answering his sibling's mocking demand for an honorable duel with an artillery barrage from the cannons of his Knights, Philander and a select few charged into the city. Tearing their former comrades apart even after they surrendered under the violent onslaught, the two princes eventually met Knight to Knight. Though tired from the battle, Philander proved far superior to his younger brother and the duel ended with the defeat of the traitor. Sir Philander was not content, however. He called for all his siblings, declaring his line of the family for unfit to occupy the throne. Instead, he handed the rule to his most trusted Lieutenant, Primrose Hargrave-Peregrine. This decision has become one of the customs of House Peregrine, enabling those with the necessary abilities to exceed the limits of their birth. Though facing opposition from his relatives, no one dared to deny Sir Philander. After the reign over the House had been passed on, the prince took those left of his family and declared them and himself Freeblades, seeking to redeem the failure of their line with service until death. After they left Sicarra, they would not be seen again. After the Fire With the death of Horus and the interment of the Emperor on the Golden Throne ending the Horus Heresy in a pyrrhic victory, peace was slowly enforced once more across the Imperium. Similarly, House Peregrine reinforced their hold over the Dinadan CLuster, repairing their Knights and ridding themselves of every traitor they could find. Lady Primrose, now effectively High Queen Peregrine, declared that skill and not blood would decide over the throne. Every Knight of the House had the right to challenge the heir to a duel for the throne, no matter how low in the line of succession they stood. In the, not uncommon, case that multiple Knights would challenge the supposed heir, all of them would enter a fight against each other at the same time, with their performances being the deciding factor over their claim. These duels, whether one against one or many against each other, are known as the Bohort. War of the Beast (WIP) Age of Apostasy (WIP) The Black Crusades (WIP) The Dark Imperium Even cut off from the Segmentum Solar and the guiding light of the Astronomicon, House Peregrine has remained vigil over its domain. Having called all their Knights back home, the House intends to keep up the tradition of not having any foe stay on their worlds for longer than a week since the days of the Horus Heresy. With High King Reann Peregrine being of an age too old to let him join the fray of the frontlines, it is his niece, Onnifer Peregrine, who holds active command over the House's forces. So far, she has held her position through 12 duels. Geography Sicarra holds no bodies of water that exceed the size of a lake, dominated by a single, coherent landmass. Mostly covered by deep, arid deserts and steep rock areas, the few grassy plains are used for limited agriculture. This barren scenery changes the farther one travels towards the poles, where the melting ice fuels rivers and lakes. On the edges of these precious sources of water grows a vast amount of plant life, nurtured by annual floods which stir up nutritious mud from the river beds. These regions are heavily protected by House Peregrine's forces for their value can not be overestimated. Outside of these moderate zones, greenery and water are few and far between. Natural oases are rare and valuable, either out in the open desert or deep, shadow-covered basins. Notable Locations * Glastonmouth: Capital of the planet and home to the Keep of House Peregrine, it marks the original landing spot of the colony ship Peregrine. Protected by tall steel walls and lines of defensive artillery batteries. Utterly devoted to its masters, the city is dominated by the main boulevard, lined with statues of the House's heroes. Almost all inhabitants work in one way or another for the Peregrines, either as servants, craftsmen or scribes. * The Green Eye: The largest oasis on the planet, it is several square kilometers wide and even visible from space. In possession of House Peregrine, the dynasty's winter residence is located here and many off-world officials and nobles are invited there instead of the Keep. Flora & Fauna Wildlife has perfectly adapted to the harsh conditions of Sicarra, preserving water in every way possible. Cacti and dry bushes dominate the landscape, though the larger deserts are usually entirely devoid of plant growth on their surface. Most animals are nocturnal and carrion eaters, with a vast abundance of underground insects and arachnids. An exception are the small mammals nesting in oases or the many caves and a number of carrion birds and canines. Notable Species * Vanderhawks: Large, majestic birds with wing sizes exceeding 2 meters, these animals have become the heraldic animal of House Peregrine. Despite their regal appearance, Vanderhawks are known carrions and opportunists, not unlike those who bear them as their crest. * Gorn: Small, cloven hoofed animals, they settle the steep cliffs and rock faces. Able to scale nearly vertical walls, they provide meat, milk and income for scattered groups of herders. Additionally, their curved horns are often crafted into sturdy knives. Culture Sicarra is a planet of austerity and preservation, forcing its rules onto the sicarreen people. This is most evident in the role of water, which has lost nothing of its importance since the first days of colonization, even after the access to other planets made the import of ice and water possible. The sense of preservation stemming from this expands to all other resources such as food, raw materials, construction materials or ammunitions for weapons. Social Life Life on Sicarra revolves around the harvest cycles and House Peregrine, with many festivities being held to celebrate either the former or the anniversaries of the Knights' greatest victories. It is on those occasions that the people temporarily abandon their weariness regarding waste, indeed releasing not only food and drink stockpiled over the previous months, but also a pent up energy. Many relationships or marriages are formed during those festivities. During the rest of the year however, most inhabitants of Sicarra exhibit a rather withdrawn lifestyle and an introverted mindset hails from the perceived need to save energy. For this reason, outsiders often perceive the Sirracans as introverted, reserved people. Imperial Cult Ever since their inclusion into the Imperium, Sicarra has adapted its teachings into existing traditions rather than abandoning them in favor of the Emperor. Their main source of reverence are still the Knights, who are held as His mightiest warriors and the divine protectors of Sicarra. Additionally, the tradition of exposing the dead to the desert as a gesture of humility has been given the connotation of freeing their souls to allow them to rise to the Emperor's side. Government Like the other planets in the Dinadan Cluster, Sicarra is officially governed by House Peregrine and its fiefs. However, since the members of the direct line and generally those able to pilot a Knight are far too valuable to waste their time in political affairs, the administration is generally left to more distant cousins, nieces or spouses. However, this is not meant or interpreted as a minor task, for governing an entire planet is truly demanding. This means, while these members of the House are not as prominent in public as their war faring relatives, they enjoy respect by no means smaller than them. Often, war trophies and other presents will be gifted to them when a Knight formation returns home. The rule of House Peregrine is strict, for Sicarra punishes the lax and unattentive. Theft is considered a crime on equal turns with murder and the worst punishments are reserved for those whose actions damage the House, its reputation or the precious water resources of the planet. Military Knights A contingent of Knights is permanently stationed on Sicarra, tasked with defending the planet and its neighbors from any threats. Often, veterans who have exhausted the fire of their youth volunteer for this role, content to occasionally deploy against Xenos raiders while otherwise enjoying the company of their family. Lansquenets Like any planet, Sicarra holds several regiments of PDF troops, dubbed the Lansquenets. Raised from the hunters of the general populace and overseen by nobles failing to pilot a Knight or too low in the line of succession, the Lansquenets are a well-trained, highly motivated force. Loyal to individual dukedoms of Sicarra, they usually operate alongside their Knights and capture positions or act as scouts. Many pilots who leave the planet take a regiment with them, which protects the nobles' encampment during their campaign or accompany them on official festivities. Instead of Lasguns, the Lansquenets carry Sicarran Slug Carbines, repeating long rifles whose design dates back to the Dark Age of Technology. Since the atmosphere of Sicarra is constantly filled with microscopic dust, regular Lasweapons have proven to be ineffective at longer ranges. While they hold less shots, their large calibre still provides ample fire power, which combined with their precision and their wielders skills as hunters, makes them a quite fearsome weapons. 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